Lavi & the Beanstalk
by moonlight1393
Summary: Lavi is a poor farmer boy. Rinali is a gypsie girl who gives Lavi some magic beans. Now Lavi has a giant beanstalk in his backyard and he decides to climb it despite Bookman's warnings. What could possibly happen? AU. Laven. R&R plz!
1. There's No Such Thing as Magic

Author's Notes: Yay! First fanfic! *does yes dance* Also my first attempt at crack yaoi but I think there will mostly be shounen-ai. But if anything along those lines changes then I'll change the story rating accordingly. So, no worries there. This is basically a strange little crack-fic of Lavi replacing Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk. And fitting in all of the DGM characters in is gonna be fun. If everyone could R&R please, then that'd be great! And I hope that everyone enjoys the craziness!

Disclaimer: I do not own -Man or any of its characters. They all belong to the great Hoshino Katsura-sensei. I only own this story which is purely fan made and I make no money off of this in any way.

"What took you so long?" The old man snapped at the youth who came down the hill with a satchel at his side.

"Nice to see you too, panda-man." The youth replied tiredly as he ran a hand through his hair.

He was a tall young man of 18 years old and all those years were spent living on the farm with his grandfather. Having done hard labor for so long left him with a toned physique as well as tanned skin. The youth also had bright red hair that could be spotted from yards away. Another identifying feature of his was the black eye-patch over his right eye leaving him one dark green eye so see the world with.

"What have I said about your ridiculous nicknames?" The old man growled.

"But is fits you perfectly, gramps!" A crooked smile formed on the young red head's face as he laughed at his grandfather's expense.

The old man really did look like a panda though. He was a short old man with pale skin and dark circles around his eyes. His face certainly resembled a panda's whereas his stature and demenour didn't. Unlike pandas, which were known as "gentle giants," the old man was terribly bitter and would barely come up to his grandson's chest even when he didn't hunch his back.

"Boy, I will forgive your insolence this one time only if you ran your errands properly, like I told you to."

"Ran my errands properly?" The youth repeated. "Since when were you so damn posh?"

Thwack!

"However, I will not forgive your cursing. Be sure to watch your tongue, Lavi."

"Oww,"

The youth, Lavi, whinned as he nursed the growing lump on his noggin. His grandfather had long since learned to make up for his lack of height by jumping to necessary heights.

"Yessir, sorry, gramps." Lavi finally apologized under his grandfather's scrutenizing eye.

"I see that the cow is gone. Does that mean that you sold it like I told you?"

"Of course, I did!"

"And you didn't trade it for some strange trinket from those gypsies that moved into town?"

"What kind of idiot do you take me for? Don't answer that!" Now it was Lavi's turn; he was dangerously eyeing his grandfather who didn't even try to his smirk as he chuckled softly. "Besides, I didn't even get a chance to enter the store."

"This wouldn't be because you were hitting on that young man's lover now, would it?"

"God no, I thought she was his sister." Lavi laughed.

The old man shook his head at his grandson's ways.

"So, how did it go at the butcher's?"

"I was able to hagle for a higher price with Yuu, and we still get first choice of the meat cuts." Lavi explained as he produced a small bag full of coins from the satchel that he wore at his side.

Lavi handed the pouch to his grandfather who in turn examined the contents of said pouch. The young red head tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his grandfather to finish counting all the little copper coins. Twice. Thrice. Three times the old man counted all of those little coins!

Sure, they'd been having some money trouble recently, hence, the selling of ol' Bessy, but this was getting ridiculous.

Lavi heard his grandfather mutter something to himself.

"Huh? What was that?" Lavi's grandfather turned away from his as he spoke:

"Not too bad." He replied half-heartedly.

Lavi was outraged.

"What're you talking about? Have you gone senial? I think I did pretty damn great-hurk!"

The old man's fist landed squarely in the center of Lavi's chest. Effectively knocking the wind out of him sending him down onto his bum.

"You ungrateful brat! What did I just sau about your cursing?"

"You should be grateful to me you stubborn old goat! I'm the one that sold the cow for a higher price and-"

A soft and tentative voice interupted the cascading shouting match.

"Umm, excuse me?"

Both men turned to face the voice and saw a young beauty who couldn't have been much younger than Lavi was. This girl had fair skin with dark eyes and equally dark, long hair that she wore up in pigtails.

Now Lavi's grandfather was bewildered by this mystery girl and her strange clothes that wrapped around her, hugging her form perfectly. But Lavi instantly recognized her as the gypsy store owner's lover that he was failing to woo earlier in the day.

"Hey, Lady Lena!" Lavi exclaimed as he ran up the hill to meet the girl, with his grandfather following right behind him.

"I thought I told you, my name is 'Rinali.'" She huffed.

"Yeah, I know, I know. But you gave me a nickname already, so, I figured that I should give you one." Lavi said with his crooked grin.

"But that was a mistake and,"

"A nickname?" Interupted the old man.

"Yeah, 'Lavi-kins.' Cute, right?" Lavi's chest swelled with mnaly pride.

"No, I said 'Lavi-kun.'" Rinali explained. "It's way of refering to boys where I come from."

Another small chuckle wofted from the throat of Lavi's grandfather. Ignoring this, Lavi continued on hiding his bruised ego:

"So, what brings you here Len, uh, Rinali?"

"I wanted to apologize for the way my brother acted to you earlier."

"Your brother? I thought that guy was your husband, or lover, or something! I mean, the way he acted and what he said-"

"Oh, no, no, no!" Rinali shook her head furiously. "He really is my brother. It's just that we're the only family we have. And he's the one who raised me, so, he tends to be over protective of me."

"I guess that makes esnse then." Even though he said this calmly, Lavi was jumping for joy on the inside. This meant that he still had a chance with her!

"Miss Rinali, is there something that we can do for you?" Lavi's grandfather asked as he approached the girl.

"Ah! No, but here, I've got something to give you as a token of my apologies." As she talked, Rinali unhooked a small dark green pouch from her sash and held it out to the old man. "Here, these are some magic beans, Mister uhh,"

"Forgive my rudeness, please. I am Lavi's grandfather but you can call me Bookman." He said accepting the small colored bag.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Bookman. My name is Rinali Lee." She said bowing deeply.

"Wait, seriously? Magic beans?" Lavi scoffed as he snatched the bag from his grandfather.

"Don't be rude, brat!" Bookman scolded.

"Well, they're not really magical or anything. But my brother did cross-breed and pollenate them himself so that they can grow in any kind of soil." Rinali explained with a hint of pride in her voice.

"Wow, really?" Lavi was mildly inpressed as he took out one of the beans and examined it.

"Yes, my brother likes to think of himself as a scientist." She explained. "We've traveled to many different countries over the years and have acquired the knowledge of those countries."

Bookman's eyes seemed to glitter as he listened to all of what Rinali had to say. Lavi however, was still more than a little skeptical. Earlier he'd been at the recieving end of an insane verbal assault from the spectacled man with short curly hair. What ever a "Komu-rin number four" was, it did not sound pretty.

"I remember that outside the store, you said you had just sold your cow. And I'm sure its none of my business, but I thought that these could help." Rinali further explained.

"I see now, thanks, really." Lavi gave her another one of his trademark crooked grins as he put the suppossed "magic bean" back into the little bag.

"Yes, thank you very much for this gracious gift, Miss Rinali." Bookman bowed to the girl, following her customs.

"Hey, Rinali, why don't you stick 'round for dinner? It'll be our way of saying thanks." As polite as Lavi was being, he had ulterior motives.

"I'd love to but I promised my brother that I'd come home once I dropped your present off. We're still new to town and all, you know?"

"Of course! We understand perfectly, right, gramps?"

Bookman eyed his grandson questioning his new cheery disposition.

"Thanks for that. I'd really love to stay but maybe some other time?"

"Sure! C'mon over whenever you feel like it."

"Great. I'll see you next time then." Rinali smiled as she waved the two good bye.

"It was nice meeting you, Miss Rinali." Bookman bowed again as Rinali bowed back.

"It was nice meeting you too, Mr. Bookman. Oh, before I forget; hey, Lavi!" His one eye lit up as she turned to face him. "I made sure to tell my brother that we're just friends. So you can come by and visit whenever you like."

Lavi's heart sank a little when he heard her say "just friends." But he wasn't about to let that stop him from getting one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen.

"Okay, then. Later." Lavi waved to her as she left.

"Bye-bye!" Rinali called back as she dissapeared over the hill.

Lavi continued to wave absent mindedly as he watched the fair Rinali leave. Her foreign clothes weren't exotic in design but they hugged her every curve outstandingly. Giving Lavi a glorious view of the girl's backside.

The only thing that brought Lavi back down to earth was feeling the intense stare of his grandfather on the back of his head.

"What?" The red head demanded.

"At least you sold the cow like you were supposed to before you started slacking off." Bookman answered.

"Aw, shut up, old man!"

Bookman took the beans back from Lavi as he walked by.

"I'll soak these in water overnight before we plant them. Meanwhile, you go and ready part of the field for planting them."

"WHAT?"

"You don't want Miss Rinali's generous gift to go to waste, do you?" Bookman asked, eyeing the youth again.

"No, but, can't you just give me a break already?"

"You'll get no such thing. Now hurry up and plow the field!" Bookman roared.

"Alright, alright, aready. I'm going now. Sheesh!"

Lavi headed for the barn to get the farming equipement to do just that. Plow the fields so that in the morning, he and his grandfather could plant Rinali's supposedly "magic beans."


	2. Rollin' in the Greens

Author's Notes: Hey-the chapter is looking all perdy now! Yay! Okay, so, this chapter didn't take me as long to finish as I thought it would. But that doesn't mean the rest of the chapters will just come along as quickly. Sorry if I disappoint some but I don't want to raise false hope. On a lighter note; I'd like to thank everyone who fav'd and reviewed the first chapter! I appreciate it more than you know! :D

Disclaimer: I don not -Man or any of its characters. They all belong to the great Hoshino Katsura-sensei. I merely own this story which is purely fan made and I do not make any money off of it.

**Lavi and the Beanstalk**

**Ch. 2 "Rollin' in the Greens"**

Following the wishes, or rather, demands, of his grandfather, Lavi planted the beans out in the newly tilled fields. And just like Rinali said, the beans were able to grow despite the poor soil quality. Within a matter of weeks the beans had sprouted and grown into four-foot tall stalks. Soon after that the stalks were producing beans by the truck load. Lavi and Bookman could barely keep up; once they had finished picking and eating their harvest, another wave of beans would then be waiting for them out in the fields.

"This is getting to be ridiculous." Bookman sighed as he gazed up at the ever-growing bean stalks.

"Now do you believe me, gramps?" Lavi growled as he stood next to his grandfather.

Lately the beanstalks had been growing at an alarming rate. At first, Lavi had to replace the bean poles every few days just to keep up with their height. But now the beanstalks were thickening as they grew taller. Lavi damn near had to take an axe to the plants just to take the bean poles out. When he finally removed the bean poles, the stalks were so thick and sturdy that they could support themselves, which was yesterday. And now, today, the beanstalks had begun to intertwine amongst themselves-making it almost impossible to harvest the beans.

"You can't honestly expect me to get anything from this mess, can you?"

Lavi pointed an angry finger at the beanstalks that were now somewhere between eight and nine feet tall. Bookman just stood there. He was seemingly deep in thought and more importantly; ignoring Lavi.

"Well, aren't you gonna say something?"

Lavi quickly tired of waiting for his grandfather to respond.

"Quit being stubborn already! Let's just hurry up and sell this thing, pand-ACK!" Lavi flinched greatly as Bookman shot him a dirty look.

"Enough of your childish nicknames. Why do you wish to sell something that provides nourishment for us?"

"Because it's impossible to reap anything from this mess!"

"Oh, my. That certainly is something else."

Lavi and Bookman turned to see the town's one and only school teacher; Froi Tiedoll, coming down the hill. He was a tall, sturdy man who would often let his work with the town's children take over his life. And did it ever show; his dark curly hair was unkempt at best. All of the time he spent with his nose in a book had long since taken its toll on his eyes. He was forced to wear a ridiculously thick pair of eye-glasses just to see the faces of his students.

"Good morning, Professor Tiedoll." Bookman greeted the teacher as he walked up to where the two stood at the beanstalks. "It's rather odd to see you here on your day off, especially since its so early in the morning."

"Yes, it is unusual but I kept hearing these rumors of your plant trouble in town-and after I asked Yuu about it I decided to come and see it for myself." Tiedoll explained as he shook hands with Bookman.

Lavi swallowed hard. He knew that Yuu was going to find a way to blame him for being forced to hold a conversation with Tiedoll. Back when they were 9 and 10 years old, Lavi and Kanda, retrospectively, dropped out of school t help their families earn more income. Lavi helped his aging grandfather on the farm while Kanda went and helped his father, Zhu, the town butcher. Tiedoll always handed the two of them about coming back to school despite their ages. He was especially tough on Kanda when Lavi went back to Tiedoll and Klaud Nyne, the town bookkeeper, to catch up on his studies during his spare time. Kanda never did go back and now grievously dreads talking to the man.

"Ah, so our newest produce has intrigued your interest?" Bookman asked.

"Why, yes, Klaud and I were talking and we thought it'd be interesting to document the growth rate of these particular beans."

"Hey, have you talked to the crazy glasses guy? You know, Komui? He's the one we got the beans from." Lavi piped up.

"Actually, I already talked to him just yesterday." Tiedoll recalled as he turned to face Lavi. "I heard about that man and his family's wares through the grapevine. The children certainly love his sister. She's always giving little treats to them."

"So, what did this man have to say about the beans we received? His younger sister, Miss Rinali, said that they were cross-bred to grow in any type of soil." Bookman stated.

"Yes, Komui said that as well. He also said that he had bred several breeds of bean plants along with an Asian grass called 'bamboo.'"

"Bamboo." Lavi repeated. "Sounds weird-just like him,"

"Hush, brat." Bookman glared at Lavi but once he turned to face Tiedoll, his expression softened greatly. "Professor, what happened exactly is this 'bamboo,' was it?"

"Oh, yes. Here," Tiedoll took off his backpack and set it on the ground. He bent his knees and took something out as he spoke: "Bamboo is actually a grass that can grow upwards to 12 feet tall. It comes from the oriental country of China and is quite populous up in the mountains." Tiedoll handed a strange looking book to Lavi and his grandfather. "Komui mixed the growing and reproduction qualities of the bamboo grass with the European bean plants. He did mention that he might've added a few other plants' characteristics for good measure. But he can't be certain since he doesn't completely remember. Although he said that he always took careful notes when he experimented and that he'd get back to me when he found the notes."

Now that sounds more like Komui, Lavi thought to himself.

"Lavi, why don't you tell the Professor all about the condition of the beanstalks. After all, you'd be the one who knows the best, seeing how you've tended to them everyday. "Bookman smiled very coyly as he snatched the foreign book away from his grandson.

"Right," Lavi was a little dumbstruck. Who knew the old man could be so underhanded? Maybe that's where Lavi had learned it. Lavi sighed as he looked up at Tiedoll, who looked at him expectantly. Sometimes the old guy was no different than the children he taught. "Okay, here's what's been going on,"

Lavi went through the hardships of the past few weeks with Tiedoll. He racked his brain recalling every little detail for Tiedoll's finicky notes and diagrams. After finally settling the school teacher's curiosities, Lavi collapsed onto the ground where he stood. Tiedoll, seemingly unaware of Lavi's plight, took up station with his sketch pad and began to carefully detail every part of the beanstalks. Meanwhile Lavi massaged his temples in desperate hope to keep his brain from exploding.

Next Sunday afternoon, when church had let out, Lavi went wandering around town looking for Kanda. Kanda had managed to slip out of church while the congregation shook hands and bid farewell to Father Reever. Granted this happened every Sunday but Lavi kind of enjoyed the chase. And he never missed the opportunity to drop by and give Kanda a hard time.

This particular Sunday, Kanda was hiding out in a clearing near the outskirts of town.

"Ha! Found you." Lavi and his crooked grin beamed down on his raven haired friend.

Kanda merely growled in response. The reason he went so far out of town was so that he could meditate in peace. This is actually something he tried to do every Sunday after church. Lavi, however, always had different plan in store.

"Hey, Yuu, how's it going?" Lavi plopped down next to Kanda, who was doing his best to ignore Lavi. Not like he actually expected Kanda to respond.

And Kanda didn't.

For some time, close to twenty minutes, Lavi sat there grinning like a dog with a bone. While Kanda simply sat there refusing to acknowledge the red head's existence. It was now a battle of wills; which of the young men would cave under the mounting tension? Certainly nor Lavi who would erupt into giggling fits every time a new vein popped on Kanda's temple. Despite all that, Kanda successfully kept up the silent treatment.

Like always, it was Lavi who broke the silence. Although, this time the subject matter was strange enough to break the routine.

"So, Yuu, your family has some Asian heritage, right?"

"What of it?" Kanda watched him from the corner of his eye.

"Nothing really-just curious." Lavi was taken slightly back. He didn't actually expect Kanda to answer him. "Have you ever heard of a plant called 'bamboo'?"

"Yeah, it's some sort of grass. It grows in forests in China." Kanda said shortly.

"Apparently, that Komui guy bred beans with bamboo. That and something else called 'moon vine.'" Lavi continued talking ignoring Kanda's piercing glare. "Moon vines are actually a flower that grows only at night. S o, these beans that me and gramps got really are like magic-cause they grow both during the day and at night. It's something else, ain't it?"

Lavi playfully slapped Kanda on the back. A deep growl escaped from his throat which would've normally induced fear but only caused Lavi to laugh.

"I already know about that too. That freak, Tiedoll, came by and told me all about it when the sister complex finally gave him those notes."

"Must be nice to live in town like that. Near the town's bazaar like that, you'd be able to talk to everyone." Lavi sighed as he dreamt of such an interesting life. It wasn't like he didn't love his grandfather, but life on a farm in a tiny out-of-the-way town wasn't the most exciting thing in the world. He didn't envy Kanda's job as a meat butcher but at least Kanda got to see people on a regular basis.

"What? You want to change lives for a day or something?"

"Oh, no way! I don't wanna be a butcher!"

"Fair enough. I don't want to work on your stupid farm."

"It's just that I, I," Lavi trailed off. Kanda looked at him rather shocked. In all the years they've known each other, he'd never seen Lavi so exasperated before. "I just get tired of the same thing-day in and day out. Nothing ever seems to change around here."

"And you're just now realizing that?"

"No, no I'm definitely not! I guess, everything's finally coming down on me."

"You must really, really appreciate those giant beanstalks. Something new and different in your life, right?" Kanda smirked.

"Well, its certainly a unique experience. But I was hoping for some sort of grand adventure. Something more traditional, ya know? Beggars can't be choosers I suppose."

Kanda shook his head as Lavi easily shrugged his depression off. Why did he ever worry about that stupid rabbit?

"On that note, how are the gypsies' magic beans coming?"

"Like you wouldn't believe!" Lavi exclaimed. "The stocks have gotten to be as thick as trees and just as tall. No seriously, those things are twice the size of my house-at least! That and they're all so tangled together now, I have no idea where on ends and the next begins." As Lavi talked he waved his hands about erratically.

Anyone who saw him and didn't know better would assume he was having some sort of spaz-attack. However, everyone around already knew them and wasn't surprised. It was nothing new. Like every Sunday, Kanda was held forcibly against his will, while he suffered threw Lavi's ramblings. Truly, today was a day like any other. Which is why all of the daily routines and simple lifestyles could never have prepared Lavi for what he would wake up to come the next Sunday?


	3. Elevator Going Up

Author's Notes: I'm trying to respond to all those who review, so feel free to ask questions. Some I can't guarantee I'll answer all of the questions, don't even ask about the plot, but I'll do my best! :D Also, something funny to talk about; the day after I promised to finish this chapter by the end of the week, my damn notebook goes missing! The notebook that has all of my chapter drafts and plot notes goes missing! Oh, the HUMANITY! In it was the first half of this chapter so I had to completely rewrite it. No worries though, I wrote most of this during my English class, so all is good! ;) Personally I like this version better. One last thing; Allen will be making an appearance soon enough! Not in this chapter but soon. Be patient my furries!

* * *

**::Lavi and the Beanstalk::**

**Ch. 3 "Elevator Going Up"**

What would've been another peaceful Sunday morning was rudely interrupted by the frantic cries of a certain young red head. Bookman left his place at the kitchen stove to check on his unruly grandson. At first he only peered through the kitchen window but Bookman then darted outside. Even as he stood next to his over excited grandson, Bookman continued to doubt his eyes.

Only a couple of weeks ago, their genetically engineered beanstalks had begun to mutate and grow like crazy. Consequentially driving Lavi as equally crazy with all of the demanding tending. But this was completely insane.

The entire patch of beanstalks had intertwined so that the whole garden housed the base for one massive beanstalk. Bookman's eyes widened as he followed up the length of the stalk. He bent his back and neck back as far as he could without falling over. But even if he lay down on the ground, Bookman wouldn't ever be able to see the entire beanstalk. It towered over everything in the kingdom as it stretched up into the heavens. At its midsection the beanstalks were conjoined into one gigantic stalk. Small branches sprouted out in all directions and curled like monstrous ivy vines. The leafs of these lithe branches blocked out the morning sun, drastically cooling the landscape where the shadows fell.

Bookman was simply dumbstruck as he continued to stare up in awe at their giant beanstalk. Lavi and the other hand, was still shouting about their misfortune and grievances.

"Hey, are you even paying attention? Hey. Hey, panda-gramps!"

THWACK.

Now was a good time to come back to reality, Bookman thought as his fist perfectly collided with the center of Lavi's face. Sending the youth flying back into the dirt.

"Crusty ol' koala." Lavi growled.

Bookman stomped his foot down onto his grandson but Lavi quickly caught it with both his hands. The old man raised an eyebrow in surprise. He was fairly impressed by his grandson's junction.

"Now, if you're quite through with these antics, we should really discuss about what to do with this here plant of ours." He said lowering his foot.

"Chop it down!" Lavi screamed as he stood up.

"That's not a reasonable plan of action. We should discuss the matter with Komui and Prof. Tiedoll." Bookman reasoned.

"How th' hells that discuss'n anything?"

This time Lavi wasn't quick enough to stop his grandfather's foot. Lavi could've sworn that he heard his ribs go "crunch" under the swift and mighty kick of the elderly Bookman. His face scrunched up in a mix of pain and anger as he slowly recovered from the blow. Bookman may have been one of the town's oldest citizens, but he knew how to pack a wallop.

"If you've had enough, I'll be leaving for town this very instant." Bookman further explained with his fists clenched at his sides. "I'll tell our situation to Komui and Prof. Tiedoll, and we'll devise a proper plan of action from there. Don't do anything stupid!" Bookman finished eyeing the red head dangerously.

Lavi would've been intimidated if not for the lingering resentment that churned within him. His nostrils flared as he haughtily replied:

"I got it."

"Good." Bookman nodded as he turned on his heels. "I'll be leaving for town now."

Lavi glared daggers into the back of his grandfather's head as he watched the old man walk away. He continued to sit in the dirt as he nursed the forming bruise on his chest. Even after Bookman disappeared into the horizon, Lavi didn't move from his spot on the ground. Instead he let himself fall onto his back. Next he lifted his tunic up to examine where Bookman had struck him.

It was as bad as he thought it was; there was a definitive yellowing foot print in the center of his chest. Lavi let out a heavy sigh as his arm fell to his side. He found his eyes wandering up to the eyesore of a beanstalk that dominated his family's humble garden. The dark green vine faded into the vast blue sky like the distant mountains of Tiedoll's many paintings. Not even the clouds could reach the height of the beanstalk's peak.

For almost an hour, Lavi would stare up at the monstrosity that plagued his garden and life. Despite being a major pain in the arse the beanstalk had proved useful in the past. It was providing him and his grandfather dinner every night, but Lavi was getting real sick of bean and cabbage soup. Bookman saw no reason to complain about everything. Then again it was Lavi who been doing all of the tending.

The morning sun rose higher into the sky as the time passed by. Soon everyone in town would be awake and no doubt they would all see what had become of his family's infamous beans. Lavi and his grandfather had gained some mock-celebrity status from them. It was nothing serious of course but it was the hot topic on everyone's lips in town. And sure, it broke up the routine just enough for his amusement-but Lavi would've preferred something new and interesting that didn't require manual labor.

"Does it ever end?" Lavi asked aloud to no one in particular. He simply laid there taking in the view of the giant beanstalk that dominated his farm.

Lavi heaved himself up, brushing the dirt off him as he straightened his back. Afterwards he found himself gazing back up at the beanstalk. It really did seem like it would never end-like it would stretch out into the infinite spances of the heavens. Almost like a fantastical bridge of some sorts.

Lavi's eye lit up as a crazy idea sparked in his mind. Bookman told him not to do anything stupid but he never really said what *not* to do. He sped off towards the barn, kicking up dust as he went. After grabbing some old tools, rope, and other miscellaneous equipment, Lavi returned to the garden.

He quickly got to work fashioning himself some homemade climbing gear. First he took some old fan belts and used them to strap spikes to the bottom of his boots. Next he took two crane hooks, tied tight knots around their link holes, which he then attached to some more belts that were strapped around his torso. This he used as an impromptu safety harness. Lastly Lavi brought out two small hand-held sickles that had chains on their handles. He tied some more rope around the sickles' chain links and secured them to his harness. If his grip failed him for whatever reason then he'd need the ropes to pull everything back up.

Before Lavi set out for his not-so-little adventure, he said a quick and sincere prayer for his safety. He was prepared for when he'd drop anything but god forbid he'd fall off of the beanstalk itself. The damn thing was thick and sturdy enough to fully support his weight. But in terms of luck, Lavi may've been running a little low.

Taking some extra precautions, Lavi ran into the house and filled his satchel with a few extra items. He decided to pack light for the arduous climb and only brought the necessities. Which were mostly sweet bread, some cheese, and a few apples for food. Not to mention two bottles of well water, a first aid kit, a heavy coat and scarf, and a small throwable axe for self defense (it had been a present from Kanda a few years back).

He stuffed the scarf and coat into his satchel then closed it tight. Next he threw it over his shoulder and strapped his climbing harness on as he prepared to make the ascension up the giant beanstalk. Lavi swallowed hard as he swung the small sickles into the beanstalk's leafy flesh. Then he dug the spikes on boots into the over grown plant. His makeshift climbing gear was actually working! Slowly but surely Lavi was making his way up the beanstalk.

Lavi's heart raced as he climbed up the length of the mutant stalk. Every few steps he took, he would turn back to see just how high he was. At first he only saw the top of his homely house, then he saw past the hills, next he could see the outlines of the town, and soon he could see past the skyline of the town itself. After that looking back just made him nervous. Seeing nothing but vast open plains and the now tiny speck that was his home town wasn't the most encouraging sight for the youth.

No longer looking back, let alone down, Lavi wondered just how high he really had gotten. It didn't look like he was anywhere close to the beanstalk's peak and yet he could just as easily stretch his hands out and touch the clouds. Lavi had long since lost track of time but the sun was still beating down on his back. He slouched against his climbing rig wondering if he really needed to bring the coat and scarf at all.

His head hung back as he stared up the length of the beanstalk. It still looked no different than it had back on the earth; dark green faded away into the clear blue sky. Lavi's chest heaved as he rested to catch his breath. He wondered if it really would ever end. After coming so far he figured he might as well go all the way. If he could actually reach the end that is.

After what felt like days to Lavi, he came to an unexpected road block. The clouds had gathered around the beanstalk so thick that Lavi couldn't see past them. He reached his into the fluffy mass and was surprised to feel some resistance. It wasn't like he couldn't get past them but the clouds were putting up a fight.

Lavi easily pushed the clouds away as he climbed further up the stalk. But as he continued upward the clouds got thicker and denser. Soon he was forced to hack at them with his sickles and till the clouds like he would with the earth back on his farm. He couldn't help but laugh as dug his way up and through the clouds. It was almost like he was trying to dig his way through the soil he worked his whole life on. Actually, he'd had nightmares like this before. Only they didn't involve fluffy white clouds.

Now the clouds were becoming something like a nightmare, they were hardening despite their fluffy appearance. Lavi was forced to work harder as he continued to dig his way through the clouds. He chipped away at the clouds slowly securing his freedom. His heart leapt when a ray of light struck his face. He quickened the pace as more light covered his face while he worked. Slowly the clouds crumbled away like a wall of rocks. Soon the ceiling of hardened clouds cracked and tumbled away.

Lavi winced as pieces of clouds tumbled down his weary form. He was shocked that they felt just like rocks as they bashed against him. They even sounded like rocks-crashing and clacking against themselves and the tunnel Lavi had dug out-Lavi watched the pieces fall away into the sky below him. He gulped realizing just how high he had climbed. Lavi couldn't see the land below him anymore only the beanstalk with the gashes he made and the endless blue of the sky.

Feeling nervous and light headed, Lavi made the final ascension through the whole in the clouds. As he climbed out Lavi threw down the small sickles onto the ground, err, clouds. Next he collapsed next to the sickles. Exhausted he let his feet dangle down the hole he dug while his upper body rested on the cloudy ground. He noticed when he fell onto the clouds they felt just like the hard earth back on his farm. There was even some white of the cloud that wafted away like how dirt would get kicked up.

He turned his attention away from the cloudy ground and look back up. Lavi grimaced when he only saw more sky stretching across his field of vision. He rolled over on his side again and pushed himself up. Still slightly out of breath Lavi rested with his head hanging low while his arms held him up. Next he pulled his legs out of the tunnel's hole and kicked them up onto the clouds.

Lavi was still out of breath from the climb up but what he saw next made him forget how to breathe all together...

* * *

Author's Notes: I'm just curious, does Bookman actually sound like Bookman? I know everyone thinks that I nailed Lavi's character, but Bookman has me wondering. I've been taking influence from my own grandpa for Bookman's lines so hopefully it all works.


	4. Up on the Flipside

**Author's Note: **Hey tharr...I'd like to give you all some excuse about what happened to me writing this story, but I'm gonna skip that. What matters is that I'm back and my conscious is making me finish this story. I got lucky and found this chapter was already written but I had to type it up still. And I'll set straight to work on the next-I swear it! Also, I recommend re-reading the first 3 chapters before this one. Just to rekindle your memory, you know.

* * *

**Lavi and the Beanstalk**

**Ch. 4 "Up on the Flipside"**

Lavi, having been completly dumbstruck by the sight before him, fell onto the cloudy ground. He clenched at his chest while his lungs heaved. As his lungs re-inflated with air, Lavi was coughing crudely. he was so taken in by the scenery that he forgot to breath at all.

After regaining his composure, Lavi stood up and re-absorbed his surroundings. The very first thing he noticed was that everything was huge-seriously huge. In comparison he was like an ant, or a caterpillar, or some other kind of bug. Just like a bug, Lavi had crawled out of the dirt out of the dirt and wound up in some garden. Blades of grass, at least what Lavi assumed were, towered and bent over him like the great of his town's valley would.

What amazed Lavi the most was that the grass was white. White just like the dense clouds that made up the ground. He walked over and felt one of the grass blades. Its texture felt just like a normal grass blade; a rough and partially sticky underside and smooth on the top side.

Aside from its size, which he assumed was normal, there was no real reason for the grass to be white. So why was it? Lavi was staring to think that it was normal for this place too.

With his keen eye, Lavi noticed that there wasn't much grass where he stood. Comparitively speaking, he felt like he was stranded in the middle of a bleached-out forest. Howevere, Lavi deduced that he must be close to the end f this monstrous patch of grass. Or at least a clearing of sorts. So he took up his make-shift climbing gear and dragged it to where the grass was thinest.

Sure enough, the grass had ending quickly and unveiling another incredible sight to Lavi. Several hundred feet in front og him was a sprawling mansion that looked to be cut out of marble. The mansion's shear size would put any of Europe's grand caastles to shame. Then again, now that he was in a land of apparent giants, Lavi figured that any of the castles here would be truly monsterous.

Upon exiting the bleached grass, Lavi dropped his climbing gear where he exited. This was he could find the tunnel he dug later on. Next he walked towards the mansion, keep the satchel with him. There was a back door that should've lead to the kitchen, but the single step that laid out in front was easily three times his height. If Lavi was getting inside then he'd need o find anouther way.

He quickly threw out the option of climbing through the windows. Any of the stairs would be impossible without another person to help him, or a ladder to climb up. While he contemplated on growing another of Komui's mutant beanstalks, Lavi stepped away from the back door and examined the rest of the outside walls.

There was no reason for entering the house of a giant. Hell, he heard all of the children's stories of giants turning regular people into not-so-delicious baked goods. But he couldn't help it. His curiosity had gotten the better of him.

Just then Lavi's rare moment of patience had paid off. He had found his alternate opening in the form of a mouse hole. It was located along the backside of the mansion. The exuberant young red head took off like a rocket. Leaving behind his common sense and reasoning.

The thought of an over-sized rodent possibly biting his head off had never accured to him. Fortunately for Lavi, there was no such thing waiting for him on the otherside of the hole. Instead, Lavi found himself surrounded by the wood works of the mansion.

All of the innerwalls were lined with wooden blocks that were pushed together likes steps for someone to climb. There were even forks, knifes, needles, and even the odd strand of rope stuck into the walls. Lavi could see more mouse holes up in the walls above him. It was like someone out all of this together just to traverse the giant loyout of the mansion. No way a mouse did all of this. Lavi knew that this sort of sophistication came from the mind of a human. A very brilliant human. Which meant that more than just giants were living in this place.

Growing even curiouser, Lavi leapt onto the nearest wooden block and began to climb. Lavi was heading towards the nearest mouse hole. It was several yards ahead ofmhim and only appeared to be a beam of light. After he climbed the first block he followed down a path that had him hugging one of the innerwalls.

The innerwalls looked like your basic wood lined walls. Only massive. Support beams ahad been turned into bridges. And rope ladders hung from nails that stuck out. Lavi was more than impressed by the ingenuity that currently surrounded him. No one wouldn't have done this unless it was necessary. So there were definitly normal sized humans living here. LAll Lavi had to do was find them.

When Lavi came to the next over-sized mouse hole, he quickly passed through it. Finding himself swimming, firguratively and not literally, in a sea of lenolium tiles. Common sense dictates that those were the tiles of a very fancy kitchen floor.

"Holy hell..."

And boy, what a fancy kitchen it was.

The kitchen and its appliances were technologically advanced, the oven and stove were wood-lit and there was even an open fire pit built deep into the wall to boil massive quantities of water, but they were built ornately and had several beautiful carvings mounted onto them.

The kitched also appeared to have several sinks, ovens, stove tops, and numerous doors that could've lead to pantries and meat lockers. This kitchen really had everything.

"Wait a minute," Lavi rushed out into the kitchen. After he looked around the youth noticed that there was a door that had the same ornate carvings that the garden's back door had. Lavi quickly deduced that the door connected the two places.

"So," Lavi folded his arms. Speaking his thoughts aloud, "The outside mouse hole lead me inside. And this one leads me into the litchen." Lavi turned his head back to the mouse hole as the wheels in his head turned faster. "Each hole leads to the insides of the house. That means that even if I'm tiny like this, then I can still get around this mansion. But still, what about the wood works? I know the why but not the who. Who was here that needed to do all of this?"

Lavi drew in a long breath. He pushed that thought aside for now and focused on another: what else is in this place? With his trademark crooked grin in place, Lavi spead off for the mouse hole and began to climb again.

After scaling several more wooden blocks, Lavi came across a scalfoding of sorts. It intrigued Lavi because this one looked to be made quite profressionally. The red head jumped onto it and found yet another mouse hole. However this one was blocked by a piece of wood. With little effort Lavi pushed the bloackage aside and found it to be a round, hinged door.

Lavi stepped across the threshold and found himself staring down at the mansion's grand foyer. After looking around he realized that he was halfway up the staircase. From where he stood, Lavi got an excellent view of everything in the room.

"What's up with this place And the stairs?!" Lavi demanded. To no one in paricular. "I mean, if I was a giant too, then okay. But seriously! This place is friggin' nuts! And what's this thing made of? Glass? The hell?!"

Lavi stopmed his boots down onto the massive, single step he stood on. It sure did look like it was made of glass. Only it was opaque, not clear. And there was a distinct blue hue instead of gray. The floor of the foyer looked to be made of the same material. What kind of a person lives in a place like this? Who ever it was must've been pretty full of themselves, Lavi figured.

He then zipped back through the round door. Closed it. And began to climb higher up into the wood works.

Now Lavi was starting to really have fun in this place. He found that a fork had it prongs jabbed into a wall. Lavi had then used the body of the fork as a trampoline and propelled himself up into the air. He was also platform hopping. He even found himself swinging from thread and yard vines like a jungle man.

Lavi was having the time of his life. He was laughing whole-heartedly as he ascended to new levels within the wood works. This was exactly the kind of adventure he always wanted.

Being stranded in an ultimately strange but still slightly familiar place. Scaling the enemy's stronghold without their knowing. Under constant threat of being captured. Which was only fun because Lavi hadn't meet the giant yet. Now all that was left was to find the people who had devised this traveling system. Oh. And to find the princess and the secret treasure. There's always princesses and treasures.

Lavi had been to busy having the time of his life to stop and examine any of the rooms beyond the mouse holes. Lost in his dream world-the only thing that woke him up was a soft sound.

It was like a whisper. Far away and quiet. Lavi stood still and listened intently. The sound was melodic. Was that a piano he heard? No, not just a piano. Singing. Yeah, he also heard singing.

His interest was peaked. He took off in the direction of the music.

Just one question: who was singing?

* * *

P.S. Since all of you are so deserving, I'm giving you readers more than just a cookie for staying with me. Here's the title for the next chapter; THE SILVER MUSICIAN!


	5. Silver Musician

**Author's Notes:** I swear, I swear I haven't forgotten this story at all. But my day job has gotten real hectic and when I get home my brain goes "blahh." Luckily for me, I've discovered that Imagine Dragons has magical properties that help me to write. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I also hope that the next chapter goes much more smoothly. Pray with me people!

* * *

**Lavi and the Beanstalk**

**Ch. 5 "Silver Musician"**

Lavi heaved himself up onto the last ledge. He could sill hear the mysterious singing wofting through the air. Once he was on the ledge, however, Lavi's legs collapsed underneath him. His earlier galavanting had left him completely drained.

The red head dragged his tired body further onto the ledge. After some time of this, Lavi then shifted himself towards the wall. There he leans back on the gigantic inner wall.

He closed his eyes as he rested for a spell. Meanwhile he listened to the lovely singing.

The pitch of the voice sounded high but not too high. More like an alto than a soprano. And the voice was rather feminine, Lavi thought. Then again, he didn't know of any males who could sing like that who weren't 10 years old. Also, Lavi figured that the singer wasn't very old either, since there wasn't much of a timbre to the voice.

But there was something else to the voice. Something that Lavi knew there was no standard of measure for. Pain. This singer just sounded so sad. Painfully sad. And that melancholy made the singer's voice all the more beautiful.

It even tugged a little at Lavi's own heart strings. Whomever this singer was, they definetely knew what pain and sorrow felt like. Not to mention talented enough to put it to lyrics.

Lavi continued to listen to the mysterious singing. Taking in that oh-so-sweetly melancholic tone, until he heard something strange.

"Huh?" Lavi paused for a moment while he processed this new information.

"The music stopped?"

Yes, the music stopped.

"The music stopped?" He repeated. "Hey, wait a minute-THE MUSIC STOPPED!"

Lavi scrambled to his feet. He tripped over himself a few times before finally standing upright. Back on his feet, Lavi headed down the ledge and towards the direction he figured the singing had come from.

He came skidding to a halt in front of the mouse hole and lept through the opening.

This time Lavi found himself high atop on a bookshelf. He walked towards the edge of the shelf and ever so stealthily peered out into the room. First thing he noticed was that the room was empty of people. And judging from the furniture, Lavi also figured that he was in some sort of lounge or living area. But none of that was going to help him.

Lavi was starting to lose hope of ever hearing the voice again. Until, that was, he saw what appeared to be a silver. . . egg?

The red headed youth began to spy the faraway egg carefully. It looked to have intricate drawings and designs carved on it but the distance made it all impossible to discern. Lavi was now starting to think that the silver egg could've been been the source of the singing. Like some sort of music box. Although he had never heard of music box that could sing. But certainly a giant could afford such fantastical technology.

Set in his convictions, Lavi began looking for a way down into the room.

He soon found it in the very back of the book shelf's corner-there was a makeshift rope ladder consisting of yarn and broken tooth picks for steps. The corner of the shelf was hollowed out for use of the ladder.

Lavi descended down the rope ladder. Once he reached the bottom shelf, Lavi crept towards the edge. Double checking his surroundings. Okay. Coast was clear. He took off like a rocket.

Now the silver egg rested neatly on a table. A table that was practically the size of a castle to Lavi. Compared to the rest of the room though it was merely an end table that stood beside a matching chaise lounge.

The "little" table was drapped in an ornate table cloth that was hemmed with golden tassels. First Lavi began to scale the tassels by climbing up one of its woven strands. After that Lavi attempted to climb up the actual table cloth but couldn't. It turned out that the cloth was made of silk and silk was impossible to climb.

Lavi couldn't grip the fabric very well and kepy slipping. And with no foot hold, Lavi continued to fall. Still he percevired and found his saving grace in a giant hand-knit lace doiley that also ordained the little end table.

The holes and gaps in the doiley's pattern provided the eager red head with the grips and foot holds he needed. Now he was climbing up the side of the table as easily as he could with any ladder.

Once he reached the top, Lavi heaved himself up over the edge for what he hoped was the final time.

At long last he reached the silver egg, but now what? Just how in the hell was he supposed to open the darn thing? Even if he knew what to do, he still couldn't reach or lift the egg.

Lavi screamed out his frustrations.

"YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME! TH' HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?!" The impechulant youth stormed over to the silver egg and kicked its stand.

Bad idea.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!"

A way bad idea.

Lavi fell back onto his bum. Where he took off his boot to examine his throbbing big toe. Nothing was broken but Lavi's toe was already starting to swell and redden.

"Ya stuid egg, lookit what you did to my foot!" Lavi scoffed. "And look at me for getting all worked up over nothing. Ya hear me? NOTHING!"

Lavi chucked his boot with a mighty force. The boot made a most beautiful arc as it soared through the air. However, the boot's trajectory stopped when it collided with the silver egg. Making a lovely "tink" sound when the two connected.

The boot fell back to the ground, err. . . table, and so did Lavi's spirits. His head hung low as his spirit continued to drop. Nothing was happening still. Lavi had spent the entire day exhurting his body to its limits. While he had enjoyed aimlessly exploring the castle earlier, Lavi found it more than a little disheartening when he couldn' reach his goal of finding the mysterious singer.

It was looking like all of his effort would be for naught. Or so he thought.

Suddenly the egg came to life. The silver egg stirred awake with clicks and whirrs. Lavi slowly stood, staring in disbelief as the egg began to move.

The shell of the egg split open just like a blossoming flower. A dazzling light poured out from the egg. Lavi sheilded his eyes as he slowly approached the device. He could just make out the form of a person sitting in front of a large something.

Just then the sound of piano keys chimed out. The notes came soft and suddenly, like a gently trickling rainfall. Lavi then gasped. "The music," He recognized the melody almost instantly. It was the same song he had heard earlier.

As the lights dissapated, Lavi could at last see the singer. There sat a pure white figure, unmoving on a bench before a small grand piano. Lavi could hardly believe his eyes as he drew closer.

The singer was a young teenager with translucent skin, snow white hair, and silvery eyes that were fixed solely on the piano before her. Lavi gazed on in wonder at this girl. Even her long eyelashes were the same shade of white that her hair was. Lavi had become so transfixed with her beauty that he never heard her take in a breathe.

And she sang:

"_So as the boy fell to sleep,_

"_The fire in the ash engulfs the air._

"_One, by one..._

"_What rises are the faces of my beloved ones._

"_What trickle down to Earth are the thousands of_

"_Dreams... dreams..._"

Her voice rang throughout the room. Sweetly sad and dripping with powerful emotion. Lavi continued to listen until the song played out.

By the end of it, Lavi was mesmerized by the girl-just like how she was with her piano. He now stood a hair's breadth away from her. With one hand propped on the piano, Lavi crouched his back down and leaned his face in so it would be closer to her's.

Lavi stood there, drinking in her gorgeous radiance. Never noticing as the girl's breathing began to quicken. A small but long moan, that went unheard by Lavi, escaped her throat. The girl's shoulders shuffled as her eyes began to blink rapidly. Her eyes slowly came into focus.

The pale teen sensed an unfamiliar presence. Fully awakened from the spell, she turned to see Lavi. Who was so close to her now that he was practically exhalling his breath right into her own mouth. She screamed. And Lavi let out a yelp in surprise.

The girl immediately jumped up and ducked behind the piano. Lavi followed her, doing his best to calm her down. "It's okay. It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you."

"Wha-what the hell are you doing here?" She asked breathlessly as she continued to back away from Lavi.

The young red head blinked in surprise when he heard her curse. Apparently there was some bravado packed within her lithe frame.

"I just wanted to hear you sing. That's all." Lavi explained as he slowly circled her around the piano.

"What?!" The girl's silver eyes went wide. "No. Stop. Just, stop." She made a gesture with her hand, motioning for Lavi to stop. The silvery youth turned towards her piano and placed both hands down in its lid. Lavi watched the girl shake her head as she anxiously shuffled her feet. She was contenplating his words. "Listen now, yo-WAHH! And stop trying to get close to me already!" She screamed. Instantly jumping back when she found Lavi invading her personal space again.

"I can't help it. You're so beautiful." Lavi mentally slapped himself. Kanda would've rightly killed him for saying that.

"Are you crazy?" For some reason the girl looked livid when she heard that.

"But you are!" Lavi insisted. "I mean, you look like no else I've ever seen before. Your eyes, your hair. And with those clothes you look just like a fairy tale princess although your missing-"

"STOP!" She screamed.

Once again Lavi was taken back by the girl's gusto. But Lavi was secretly glad that she stopped him before he said anymore. Lavi didn't know what was wrong with him. He had been perfectly smooth with Rinali. The only problem was Komui's untimely interuption. But now he was doing everythig wrong. He hadn't even introduced his name yet. And the words were spewing from his mouth like a bad fish dinner.

The girl took a few breathes before starting again. "Okay. What're you doing here and how did you get here?"

"I um, uhh, through the mouse holes. If that makes any sense." Lavi decided it was best if he only said what was needed to answer her questions. Specially when the girl was looking ready to punch him.

"Mouse holes? Wait, do you mean Helveska's tunnels?"

"Uh, sure." What ever a 'Helveska' was, it must've been important, Lavi figured by the girl's reaction. She seemed very excited.

"Right. Right." The girl clapped her hands together. "So, how'd you even find this place?"

"You're not going to believe me." Lavi's throat went dry very quickly. He knew the truth wouldn't be easy to swallow.

"Have you looked around around us yet?" The girl scoffed as she gestured to their surroundings. "You can't shock me any more unless you were really trying."

Lavi took in a deep breathe before replying.

"I climbed up a magic beanstalk."

"WHAT?!"

He knew it.

The girl looking ready to chew him out. Lavi watched the girl's earthreal features turn dark as she was preparing to hurl curses at him. However, her fury was short lived as a dreadful rumbling shook the air around teens and even the air withing their lungs.

"WHAT IS ALL OF THAT DAMNABLE NOISE!"

Lavi's heart began to play "The Bells of Saint Mary." He turned to the girl to see her translucent skin turn ashe gray and her eyes had grown wide with sheer terror. Lavi followed her gaze towards the open door. He could already hear the heavy footfall race towards them. Was it finally going to happen, Lavi asked himself. Was he really going to meet a giant?

"Get out of here! Hurry!" The girl screamed. Pushing Lavi out of the silver egg.

"Not without you I'm not!" Lavi turned around and grabbed the girl's wrist. He was ready to jump with her in tow but she wriggled free. Lavi turned around and looked at her dumbfounded. Why she wouldn't leave?

"I can't." She said with her face scrunched up like she was in some sort of pain. The girl then stepped forward and raised her hand. That was when a strange wall of light appeared and pushed the girl's hand back. Lavi couldn't believe it. This poor girl was completely trapped within the egg. The girl shook the sadness off of her face and shouted to Lavi again. "You really need to leave! Now! Go! GO!"

Lavi hesitated. No way he wanted to leave her there but he knew that there weren't any other options. So Lavi gritted his teeth and lept out from the center of the silver egg.

He continued down the table and across the room back to the book shelf. It was then that Lavi stopped his retreat and looked back to see that the silver egg had already closed itself shut. And just like that the girl was gone again.

The foot step's of the giant were now reverberating through the open door. Feeling his heart quicken from fear, Lavi scaled the yarn ladder in record time. He continued through the inner workings of the mansion walls and made his way back out into the bleached white garden where he climbed down the giant beanstalk.

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P.S. I just wanna say that Lavi has some damn impressive stamina. Oh. And the next chapter is called, "Fretting and Poor Decision Making".


	6. Fretting and Poor Decision Making

**Author's Notes:** I had a serious argument with myself about if the opening line should be in quotations or not. Weird, huh? Ultimately I've decided that they look out of place. Sorry this chapter is short but the next one will have lots of dialogue if anyone's been missing that. I know I have. O_o;;

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**Lavi and the Beanstalk**

**Ch. 6 "Fretting and Poor Decision Making"**

What is it with red heads? Are they genetically prone to insanity, or is that just my luck?

Several thoughts like these ran through Allen's mind as he straightened himself up. Mere moments ago there was a young, eye-patch wearing red head who had somehow made his way into the mansion. The two had caused such a ruckus that the master of the mansion had heard them. Now Allen had to feign innocence for his Master's questioning. Luckily for him, Allen had inherited his father's poker face.

For some ridiculous reason the youth had kept calling Allen beautiful and even referred to him as a what, a fairy tale princess? Allen's brain began to have conniptions.

Dear lord in heaven, he thought Allen was a girl. A series of disgruntled moans and mumbles flew from Allen's lips. Eliade really was right about him being so androgynous.

Pushing those thoughts aside for now, Allen sat back down to the piano once he was proper looking again. Still he continued to worry about the young stranger. The Master had sounded like he was so close to them that Allen feared the youth would be caught.

The silver egg opened right on time. Allen could feel the Piano's spell take hold of him. But his Master cancelled the spell.

Allen looked up from the bench to find his Master staring, well, lets be honest, it was more of a death glare, right back.

His Master's name was Cross Marian. Who actually wasn't a giant but an extremely talented sorcerer He had crafted the entire mansion and the clouds it sat on. The only reason why Cross made everything so gigantic was to accommodate his just-as-large ego. At least that was always Allen's reasoning.

"What happened?" The giant Cross demanded of Allen. His crimson eyes had narrowed and focused solely on Allen.

"What do you mean, 'what happened?'" Allen played it cool. Just like he did at Poker, only he carried himself a little less arrogantly.

"I mean you were singing. I heard you. And that only happens when someone opens the egg. So I'll ask again, 'who was here.'" Cross' tone was very sharp.

"You didn't ask that before." Allen couldn't stop the devilish smirk from forming on his face. Like his Master had always said, he was a smart-ass 15 year old.

"Who. Was. Here."

Allen gulped. He knew that tone. The games were over and he needed to end this quickly.

"You just left the egg open." Allen said very casually. Cross obviously wasn't buying it. So Allen gave a fake huff and continued his performance. "Look, the shell must have slipped or something because I played another song and when I came to, there was no one here."

"Really now?" Cross cocked an eyebrow at Allen's explanation.

"YES! Now will you leave me alone already? I'd like to get back to sulking over captivity in private."

Allen knew it was an unlikely scenario but it was better than telling the truth. That much he was sure of.

"Boy, I think you're lying." Now Cross was wearing the devilish grin. Allen gulped.

"Wouldn't I notice if there was some one here?"

"Would you?" Cross seamed way to confident about something but Allen couldn't figure why. That crazy youth was gone wasn't he?

"Yes I would. Now could you leave me alone please? Or better yet, LEAVE MY LIFE!"

Screaming wasn't uncommon from Allen. After all, he had been Cross' personal musician for over three years now. The man had expected it from Allen by now.

"You're absolutely certain that no one was here?" Cross' grin widened into a smile. A very evil looking smile.

"Yes. Yes already! I'm certain that no one was..here..."

Allen's voice trailed off when Cross raised an old leather boot off of the table. He then dangled the boot right in front of Allen's face. Allen was horror struck.

Cross' smile broadened even more.

"I'm pretty sure you're lying. But I'm a gracious man. And you've been relatively well behaved lately, so, I'll release you into the Ark. And have you awaken 'the Count.'"

"No! You can't do that! He'll kill him!"

Allen's protests fell on deaf ears.

"Vermin don't get to dirty my domain and live."

"No! No! NOOOO!"

Back down the bean stalk, several days had already passed since Lavi escaped the Giant's home.

Lavi tossed and turned in his bed as he played out the events from earlier that week.

The beanstalk was still standing. Lavi had managed to convince his grandfather to keep it up but it wouldn't stay that way for long. Sooner or later Lavi was going to have to make his decision.

Bookman had noticed an inexplicable change in his grandson ever since he returned from town. Earlier Lavi had been very vocal about doing away with the beanstalk and now it was the exact opposite.

When Bookman returned from his conference with Komui and Prof. Tiedoll, he expected Lavi to be his usual jovial self but was confounded by Lavi's extreme reaction.

"We've discussed by which means to use for removing of the plants and decided to dig up the roots and burn them. Hopefully the beans wouldn't be able to grow back after-"

"NO!" Bookman had jumped at the outcry and Lavi darted his eyes away in response. "I-I mean, what would happen to the rest of the beanstalk? Wouldn't it come crashing down on all of us?"

"Ye-yes, well. We've discussed that too. Seems the best course of action would be to guide the stalks towards the hills like felling a tree."

Lavi produced some more bullshit excuses about keeping the beanstalk up.

"Yeah. Well, we could always use everything to feed the rest of the village, ya know?"

"That we could,"

Bookman's complexion had paled as he watched his grandson shift about before his eyes. Sure, Lavi had done his best to lie and cheat him in the past, but Bookman could always see right through those antics. Now this was something entirely different. And worse, it was something that even the experienced Bookman had never seen before.

For days Lavi had been almost like a ghost. Never quite present but always hovering around with his eyes in a perpetual daze.

Since that time Lavi's condition seemed to be deteriorating. He was sleepwalking from day to day. Never really eating and only ever picking at the food on his plate. Most shocking of all was that Lavi had seemed to give up talking all together. Whenever people tried to converse with him Lavi would smile and be polite enough but then he'd turn and walk away.

Bookman talked in secret with the rest of the village's elders and otherwise well informed. None of them could produce any reasonable explanation.

The elderly Bookman was beginning to fear that he may lose his grandson in some way like he had with his son, Lavi's father.

Lavi sighed heavily for the umpteenth time.

He knew that his grandfather was worried about him. Lavi was mentally kicking himself for only perpetuating it.

Every time Lavi thought he had gathered enough courage to tell Bookman the truth he would just chicken out instead and quickly turn away. Lavi could see the worry taking its toll on his poor grandfather. He knew he had to end this and soon. But he didn't know how.

All he could ever think about was that silver piano playing girl. She looked so scared back there. And still she saved him. Lavi gritted his teeth as he recalled that time.

He should have been the one to save her. Lavi always considered himself a real man-some one who always stood up and did the right thing. But there wasn't ever anything bad happening in his tiny village. He'd never been properly prepared for real danger. So up in the giant castle, all he did was run away. It didn't matter that some magic spell was keeping the girl hostage. He should have stayed behind and helped her.

And that was eating up. He hardly even tried to help the girl.

Lavi didn't know how to convey his feelings to his grandfather. He was so scared that Bookman wouldn't have the right answer.

Ever since he was little, Lavi had depended on Bookman to always have the answer and if he didn't then Bookman would come up with some sort of solution anyway. If Lavi did tell Bookman everything, the last thing he would want to hear was that "there was nothing he could have done."

That might have been true but it still didn't make anything right. He knew better. And he knew that he should have done more. So why in the hell didn't he do anything back then?

Lavi turned over in his bed one final time and punched his pillow before collapsing down to sleep.

That settled it, Lavi told himself, he was climbing up the beanstalk again!

* * *

P.S. What? Allen a girl? Pssh. Oh, also, I'm currently working on a new fic. Its a crossover between Danny Phantom and Rise of the Guardians. I'll still finish this one but I'll also be working on the other at the same time. Unfortunately there's only four chapters left to this fic. But I promise that the last will be hugely epic!


	7. Searching for Something More

Author's Note: APOLOGIES! I got laid off from work back in July and getting a job took priorty over everything. But I found work again and now all is right with my world. Work training is hectic and tiring... Keeping up with the good news, I updated this fic to have its own cover art. You can see the whole thing at my Tumblr page here- post/53645953942/this-heres-the-cover-art-to-my-la vi-and-the

**Lavi and the Beanstalk**

**Ch. 7 "Searching for Something More"**

Lavi just about had a heart attack when he stepped outside that morning.

"Wha-what was tha', gramps?" He finally managed to say.

"I said, how are you feeling this morning?" The elderly Bookman replied as he stood amongt a small pile of axes, hooks, and sickels.

"O-oh. Fine. Just fine." He lied. Of course Bookman would choose to chop down the beanstalk the same day Lavi decided to climb it again. Now Lavi needed to figure out how to stop him. "Hey there, gramps. Say, umm, why didn't you wake me up earlier? I would've helped." And by help, Lavi really meant throw everything remotly sharp down the well.

"I Thought you could use the extra sleep is all. Besides, we won't be doing anything with these old pig sticks yet." Bookman explained.

"REALLY?!" Lavi couldn't do anything to hide his excitement. He now knew that he still had a chance to try and see that muscian-girl again! Bookman hadn't fully noticed Lavi's sudden mood change. Lavi looked to his grandfather and noticed a very worrisome expression on his face. Lavi quickly went wide eyed. Was his tough-as-nails grandpa' looking all anguished and depressed? "Hey. Gramps? You alright?"

Bookman sighed heavily before answering.

"You know its just that, ahh. A long time ago your father went through something similar to what you're doing right now. And I remember it so well. The restlessness. That faraway look. And he was so very, very quiet." Bookman paused to collect himself. Lavi kept very quiet and listened carefully to what his grandfather was about so say. The subject of Lavi's dad was a touchey one for the both of them.

"He was always so adventures and easily excitable. You're very much like him in that regar. And then one day he left without so much as a word or a letter." It was at this point that Bookman's voice began to break. Lavi looked at his grandfather slightly horrified. He never knew that the old man could fall apart like this let alone think it was even possible. "i knew he wanted to go but without even telling me..."

"Gramps, I'm not going anywhere." Lavi's voice was quiet but firm. Bookman's head continued to hang low. "I SWEAR I'M NOT!"

"Then tell me what it is that's going through your mind." Bookman asked.

"I don't know exactly. I mean, I can't explain it but something's just come up that's made me start questioning my, my, well, my priorities." Lavi continued as he carefully tip-toed around the truth. "I'm so sorry, Gramps. I never meant to scare you or anything."

"I know, I know." Bookman gave Lavi and a reasurring pat on the back. "But answer me this child. If you aren't sure of your 'priorities' then how can you be so certain that you won't be leaving this farm?"

"I-I can't explain it right now. But that much I'm certain of." Lavi's explaination was pathetic. Here was his grandfather, the man who raised him since his father's passing, beaten down and fearful of losing Lavi too. He should've just told Bookman the truth. It certainly would've made things easier on poor Bookman but at the same time Lavi feared he would also lose any chance he had of climbing the beanstalk and seeing the silver haired girl again.

"And when can you be absolutely certain?" Bookman asked.

"Tonight." Lavi said definitively.

"Alright then." Bookman gave Lavi a final and very gentle pat on the back before walking away.

"Do ya need help with anything else?" Lavi called out to his grandfather. He was feeling desparate to somehow make it all up to him.

"No. No. I figure that we could both use this time to ourselves." Bookman explained. "I'll be going to further discuss the matter of our beanstalk with Komui and Prof. Tiedoll And you'll wait for me until then?"

"Yeah. Count on it, Gramps." Lavi felt like his heart was going to be wrenched in two by his guilty conscience. "When you get back I'll tell you everything. I swear I will!" he called out to his grandfather. Bookman gave Lavi a warm smile before disappearing behind the hill.

Lavi then walked over to the barn where he had hidden his impromtu climbing gear. Just before entering the barn, Lavi purposefully slammed his forehead into the barn door. He was well aware of Bookman's growing concern over the past few days but he never would've imagined that the iron will of Bookman would actually crumble like that. All this time Lavi had only been concerned with meeting the silvery girl again. He had never once stopped to think about what might be happening to his grandfather. Hence the head-smack into the door earlier. Lavi felt like he had deserved at least that.

He picked up his climbing gear and strode out to the beanstalk. Still he didn't have a plan on how he was going to save the girl but he knew he had to at least try. And with that, Lavi took to climbing the beanstalk once again.

Climbing up the beanstalk wasn't nearly the same obstacle it was last time. Granted he was still winded and relied on that miraculous second wind to carry him up to the bleached-white garden. His surroundings were just as breathtaking as they were before but Lavi didn't have time to sight-see. He was a man on a mission.

Lavi bounded for the mouse hole. He could vividly recall the path towards the lounge where he and the girl first meet. When he arrived at the lounge, Lavi was shocked to find that the girl and her silver egg were all but gone.

"What th' hell, man?!" Lavi cried out. He dreaded the thought of searching what was literally a giant mansion. Sighing heavily he saw no other choice.

He turned around to leave the room when, out of the corner of his eye, a shadow skidded along the wall. Lavi jumped in surprise. There shouldn't be anything else beside him in the room, he thought. So what was it? A bug, a bird, a moth? He was suppossed to be alone in here. Lavi started a second search of the room. That was when the shadow casted over him. Lavi looked up just in time to see part of a dark figure fly high above him.

It was too high up for Lavi to see any discerning details. Lavi had no way of knowing what it was. He only knew that this mysterious, flying figure was solid. Very solid. Lavi gulped at the air. He started to feel like a rabbit that was being courted by a hawk. Now was probably a good time for him to leave.

Lavi turned back 'round to the mouse hole again. This time there wasn't any flying shadows to stop. But there was a tall figure who blocked the path. Lavi looked up to see a pale face with extremely sharp features, and even sharper teeth, staring down at him. All the color drained from Lavi's face. This guy had just myseriously appearred out of nowhere, like a damn ghost, and was now standing before the young redhead like the most fearsome of gargoyles.

When Lavi tried to back away from the mystery man, his arms whipped out from under his cloak and snatched Lavi. His clawed hands were like iron vices around Lavi's arms. The pain stung Lavi as the man's nails dug into his skin. The man seemed to relish this as he lifted Lavi into the air. His nails sinking further in under Lavi's full weight.

"Welcome to the Master's domain, Little Rat." The man's voice was calm and steady despite barely sounding human. "You've been trouncing around inside these walls too many times. And the punishment for defiling his domain is death,"

The man then pulled Lavi in. He used one arm to pin Lavi against his chest. While the other pulled Lavi's hair, cocking his head off to the side. The man's lips curled back as his eyes narrowed. Focusing solely on Lavi's neck he bared his fangs. Lavi screamed in terror. He knew what was coming next. And no amount of kicking, screaming, or pushing helped Lavi to free himself.

"NOOOO!"

A golden light flashed before Lavi's eyes. The mysterious man was gone. The mouse hole was gone too.

"..ey..."

He didn't quite recognize his surroundings anymore. And it didn't feel like he was standing on solid ground either.

"Snap out of it!"

Lavi blinked his eyes a few times. He looked down at his feet to see them dangling in mid-air. No wonder he was so disoriented. Realzing where he was, Lavi let out another terror-filled scream.

"Would you quit that already?!"

The traumatized redhead looked up to see that he was being carried in the beak of a gigantic fat, golden bird. Lavi instantly began to struggled but the voice rang out again:

"KNOCK IT OFF!"

Lavi froze. The voice sounded really, really pissed. He turned his head 'round and looked past the golden bird. That was when he saw her again. The silvery musician girl. "Its you!" He cried triumphantly. In midst of all the excitment Lavi never once recognized her voice. "You're alright! Hey, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Yeah. great job on tha-"

"Bratsss," That inhuman voice rang in both Lavi and the girl's ears.

"Oh shit," Lavi heard her hiss. "Hurry, Tim. Back to the Ark!"

The golden bird took off like a rocket (if they had existed back then). Lavi could feel the force of the wind whipping at his face. It stung so much it made his eye tear up. He dangled precariously in the bird's beak. His only life line was the collar of his shirt that the bird held onto. Granted they were trying to out run, err, out fly that fanged freak but couldn't there have been enough time to let Lavi sit up top with the pretty girl?

Indeed the "fanged freak," as Lavi dubbed him, was hot on the trail of the two. Whenever they'd bank at a turn, Lavi would look over his shoulder to see the freaky man soaring through the air like a hawk.

"Why's he after me?!" Lavi cried out to the girl.

"Because you're trespassing here." The girl answered. "Think of Crowley as the clean up crew."

Well that didn't sound pleasant, thought Lavi.

The bird cried something painful. Both Lavi and the girl turned to see that-what'd she call him, something-crow, looked more like a bat to Lavi-Crow-guy had speed up enough to rip out a few of the bird's tail feathers. Lavi could tell that the bird was struggling to stay aflight. It flapped its wings and squaked as it continued forward.

"We're so close, Tim! You can do it!" The girl urged the bird on. Lavi joined in as well. But it didn't really matter. The pain had slowed the bird down. And that crazy fanged freak had caught up. He flew over the group and swooped down in front of them. Lavi felt his heart race when he suddenly became face to face with the man again.

The bird, however, wasn't having any of it. The bird reared back its head, pulling Lavi back, and struck at the man with its talons. Both Lavi and the girl cheered the bird on. After a brief struggle, the bird had landed a powerful blow. Lavi could see the man's clothes tear and a red gash form across his chest.

"Hurry, Tim. Hurry to the Ark!" The girl yelled. And the bird obeyed. The group took off again, but not nearly as fast as they once were. They rounded a few more corners before entering a long hallway. Lavi gulped. He'd read enough books in his lifetime to know that this was what they called "make it or break it" time. Somehow he just knew that if they could get past this they'd be safe.

The man's voice reverberated throughout the hallway. Lavi went pale at the sound of his voice. It actually sounded far less human than it had before. He didn't dare turn around for fear of seeing the man. Instead Lavi prayed for some sort of miracle to occur. The man was gaining on them yet again. All hope seemed lost.

"So close, so close," Lavi heard the girl mumble. For whatever reason, her voice sounded very deep and almost, masculine. Almost. Just not quite.

Lavi could hear the golden bird pant. Its exhaustion was evident. Its wings were slowing down and its height was dropping fast. He wasn't sure they'd make it. That fanged man was still behind them. His voice was getting louder-meaning he was getting closer. Lavi could feel that his hope was sinking fast. He wasn't sure that they'd make it. Even as they neared the end of the hallway.

Suddenly the girl took in a deep breath and screamed at the top of her lungs, "ELIADE! NOW!"

Lavi's whole body jolted in shock. 'What was she doing? And why does she sound like a guy?!'

As if on cue, the door at the end of the hallway opened. The bird reared back and began to slow down. On the otherside of the door was a giant. And what a giant she was! She was fair skinned, blonde hair tied in pig tails, and curvacious. Scantily dressed in a small black colored nurse's uniform. Lavi was instantly drooling. Not that he forgot about the silver haired girl or anything. But it was especially hard not to notice that Blonde bombshell.

"Eliade?" Lavi looked over to see that the fanged guy had stopped his pursuit. Apparently he noticed the blonde too.

"Oh, Master Aliester," The giant woman, whose name is apparently Eliade, looked at the man with bed room eyes. Her lower lip pouted and her voice was silky smooth. There was even a slight blush across her face when she said his name-wait, did she just call that guy 'master?'

"WHAT TH' HELLS GOIN' ON HERE!?" Lavi's brain was starting to have coniptions.

Everyone just ignored and kept on with what they were doing before. The man, Aliester, glided over to Eliade. A love-lorn expression was painted on both of their faces.

"Oh, Eliade. Eliade my love," Aleister began.

"Master Aleister, I'm sorry. But I'm putting you down." Eliade's expression instantly changed from dreamy seduction to something scarey fierce. She then clapped Alesiter between her giant hands. Lavi was fairly certain that he heard some of Aleister's bones go "crunch." The giantess opened her hands. An unconscious Aleister laid prone in one hand, while she held out the other for the golden bird to perch on. "I did my part. Now you'd better hold up your end of the bargain." She said to the silver haired girl. Her words were surprisingly curt. Nothing at all like what Lavi expected.

"I will, I will. Now can you take us into the Ark? Timcanpy needs to sleep." The silver haired girl answered. The golden bird chirpped and nodded his head in agreement.

"Say, uhh," Lavi piped up. "Not to interupt anything here, but, CAN YOU LET ME DOWN NOW!?"

"Oh. Right. Sorry. Tim, you can let him go now." The golden chirpped again and dropped Lavi into the hand of the giantess, Eliade.

"Thank you," Lavi said with a sigh of relief.

The silver haired girl hopped down from the golden bird. And Eliade turned no her heals and headed back into the room she came from. The silver girl walked up to Lavi and introduced herself:

"Hi there. I'm Allen."

Author's Notes: I honestly thought about having Lavi kiss Allen before he realized that Allen was a guy. Then Allen would freak out and Lavi would overreact in the most dramatic way possible. But I decided to hurry up and end it here. ^_^


End file.
